The Essential Safety Kit for Camping

An adventure starts with an idea, then working upon that idea to convert it into reality. But no idea could bear fruit till you are properly prepared. Same goes for camping, mentioned below are the “must have” things to have a safe and fun camping trip.

First Aid Kid

Don’t ever start your camping trip without one! You could never know what the trip entails, and the possibility of finding yourself in an dangerous environment. A minor injury sustained during your camping trip may turn into something much more serious. There have been many instances of people dying from such ” minor” injuries, for want of medical care.

Navigation

A mechanical compass ( the old fashioned one!) is a must have in such a time, we have come to accept our phone’s GPS as the only source of navigation. But, there is a very high chance that you may be in parts of the woods where there’s no connection. In such a case your GPS won’t work, but not the good old compass!

Guidance

The guidance could be a light source, like the omnipresent headlamps and flashlights, preferably with long lasting batteries. Or, they could also be a map to guide you through the dense woods, as has been mentioned above, GPS is highly unreliable in such a case.

Protection from the sun

If you don’t want to come back from your trip being sunburnt, it is highly recommended that you carry some form of protection with you at all times. It may be sunglasses or the good old sunscreen. Experts recommend a minimum SPF of 15 for minimal outdoor activity, or an SPF of 30 for extensive outdoor activities.

Repellant

Let’s be very clear, it’s the woods, and it is full of things that you may not like. Carry insect repellent with you, so you don’t turn into a source of food for your tiny friends ( or not? ). We would want to come back in one piece, don’t we?

A shelter

What Bear Grylls does isn’t something that normal humans can replicate. So make sure that you carry with you a temporary shelter to stay in for the night. Building a shelter from the “surroundings” looks good only in the movies, in real life, it is a terrible idea, which may bring forth a lot of discomforts.

Water and Food

Pack up religiously on food and water, at least 2 days worth more than your planned stay. This would help you sustain any mishaps during your camping trip, straying from your path, or failing to locate your tent being some.